Vanocka
{A traditional Czech Christmas bread- sweet and great for breakfast with margerine.}
Ingredients:
½ cup warm water (not hot)
2 packages active dry yeast (about 3 teaspoons?)
1 ½ cups lukewarm milk
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
½ cut soft margerine
7 to 7½ cups flour
2 teaspoons lemon rind
1 cup sultanas
1 cup almonds
Recipe:
scald and cool the milk
dissolve yeat in water (with a little sugar) and let "rise"
add cooled milk, sugar, eggs, and shortening together
take ½ of the flour and add in the lemon, sultanas and almonds
add all ingredients to the yeast
mix with spoon until smooth
add enough remaining flour to hanlde easily
turn on lightly floured board
knead until smooth, at least 5 minutes
round up in greased bowl, bring greased side up and cover with cloth
let rise in a warm place, until double about 1½ hours
punch down, then let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes
shape 2 loaves (make a 3-strand braid, gradually gettign smaller at the ends) let rise again, for 45-60 minutes
put oven on half way through last rising at 350 °F
brush loaves with egg yolk glaze (2 or 3 egg yolks + 1 tablespoon of cold water per yolk- whisk together
bake for 30-40 minutes
Source: my grandmother
